Toxic plastics are everywhere, poisoning us.  From water bottles, to food containers and canned food, to baby products, they are everywhere!   With the information I give you here, you can go a long way to avoiding the main offending plastic ingredients, especially BPA which is linked to diabetes, heart disease, weight gain, infertility and reproductive system problems.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is all around your home as a main constituent of food containers, water bottles,  canned food, and all sorts of other toxic plastics products.

BPA, a synthetic estrogen, has the strongest effects on babies and infants whose bodies are still growing and developing.   Recently a study found the 5 top baby bottle brands had BPA.

But the implications for adults are extremely serious too:  this chemical has to ability to disrupt the endocrine system and much more,  including making you fat.

First, without knowing about individual ingredients, here are the…

Main ways to avoid toxic plastics:

• Do not buy most canned food!!  BPA is used in the lining of canned foods because it creates a barrier between the metal can and the food.  With respect to the Environmental Protection Agency’s levels, you are getting 83 times the limit for exposure to BPA from canned foods!  There ARE some brands that sell their products in BPA-free cans, they are: Eden Organics(BPA free since 1999! Respect!), Vital Choice, Oregon’s Choice, Wild Planet, Eco Fish, Native Forest, and Native Factor.
  • And apparently Trader Joe’s canned corn, canned beans, canned fish, canned poultry, and canned beef are BPA free, but any other products that contain corn or beans or fish, etc. and other items – for example in soups or chilis – are not in BPA free cans.
• Do not buy items in plastic packaging
• Do not store fatty foods (meat/cheese) in plastic
• Do not heat food in plastic
• Buy and store food in glass as much as possible
• Avoid polycarbonate drinking bottles with BPA, and aluminum bottles with liners containing BPA. (BPA free water bottles almost always say so on the label)
• Do not give plastic teethers or toys to infants and young children, dont let them put plastics of any kind in their mouth.
• Do not put plastics in dishwasher. Use nonabrasive soap and wash by hand.
• Receipts (piece of paper you get everytime you shop for something) are a nasty source of BPA. The BPA from receipts isn’t chemically bound, meaning your hands will be covered in BPA after handling receipts.  Receipts contain much higher levels of BPA than plastics; a plastic bottle may contain mere traces of BPA, but receipts can be covered in as much as 100 mg of this toxin!
• 

  High BPA levels

  Baby bottles and infant formula both contain traces of BPA. A survey by the Environmental Working Group found that some of the leading makers of baby formula in the U.S. use BPA in their packaging! Breast-feeding is the best option, but when its not an option, use powdered formula; the EWG found that babies who drink powdered formula receive 8 to 20 times less BPA than those fed liquid from a can.

• Stop drinking soda!  Aside from the other garbage in there, our favorite plastic culprit BPA is found in at least 96% of the sodas tested, including diet colas, root beers, ginger ales, etc… The highest levels were found in energy drinks.

Plastic Recycling Numbers -

What they’re made of, what they’re often used for, how they can be harmful :

Summary:  Avoid 3,6, 7 and 1 if possible;   2,4 & 5 seem ok.

• 1 : pet or pete, aka polyester; water and soft drink bottles; prepared food containers (like salad, spinach, …)
  • can interfere with reproductive hormones;  easily breaks down and hosts bacteria
  • should be used just once

• 2 : HDPE; opaque milk jugs; cereal box liners; liquid detergent bottles, shampoo bottles
  • apparently low risk of leaching

• 3: PVC ; plastic wrap, cooking oil bottles, toys, plumbing pipes, window & door frames, insulation (PVC foam), most common PVC products in the home
  • endocrine disruption, reduced sperm count, testicular atrophy and liver cancer

• 4: LDPE : plastic wrap, grocery, garbage and sandwich bags
  • not known to leach chemicals

• 5 : PP : yogurt and margarine tubs, microwavable meal trays; fiber for carpets, wall covering and vehicle upholstery
  • not known to leach chemicals

• 6 : PS:  styrofoam cups; clamshell containers; foam meat trays, plastic cutlery,  electronics packaging, insulation
  • eye, nose and throat irritant; stored in body fat;  many think its harmless but the US Govt considers its a carcinogen, harmful to marine life, and more styrene problems.

• 7 : PC, PLA, & others not in above categories; found in baby bottles, some reusable water bottles; stain-resistant food storage containers,   common things that contain BPA

• BPA containing polycarbone causes endocrine and reproductive system disruption; cancer, cardiovascular system damage; early puberty; obesity; chemotherapy resistance

Arm yourself with this knowledge, follow these guidelines, tell a friend,  and avoid the toxic plastics in our daily environment.   This article is based on my earlier article on plastics.  Find out much more by following some of the links above.